-
Emor: The Torah Definition of Chinuch
“Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon and say to them…” The double expression in this introductory pasuk to our parsha is far from a random repetition or mistake. The Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that the pasuk itself is one of the sources for chinuch. Delving into the wording of the pasuk allows us to
-
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Giving and Receiving Rebuke with Grace
The pasuk (Vayikra 19:17) commands us to rebuke our fellow Jew. Rebuke, the translation of the word tochacha, does not do full justice to the term. Tochacha is not merely a lecture or nagging or criticism, it is loving, gentle and personalised guidance to serving Hashem better. It must be done only from compassion and
-
Tazria-Metzora: Women Are Inherently Connected to Purity
These two parshiot centre around the theme of tuma and tahara, commonly translated as purity and impurity. The weakness of this translation is that “impurity” suggests the presence of something unfavourable, perhaps unclean – but this is far from the truth. Tuma is the absence of the flow of a life force. This is why
-
Shemini: Jewish Women, The Mashgichot of their Households
Parshat Shemini contains many of our kashrut laws: the fish, birds and animals we may and may not eat as well as the prohibition to consume bugs…
-
Shemini: Jewish Women, The Mashgichot of their Households
Parshat Shemini contains many of our kashrut laws: the fish, birds and animals we may and may not eat as well as the prohibition to consume bugs. As Jewish women, we are entrusted with the kashrut level of our homes. We are designated as the Mashgiach, the supervisor: ensuring that no milk splashes onto the
-
Tzav: Gratitude Is the Fabric of Jewish Life
As we sit around the Seder table, we can appreciate our spouse, our children, our parents, siblings, friends…
